


Indiscretion

by RadioactiveRoulette



Series: What Lies Below [4]
Category: Baldur's Gate, Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:34:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27238903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RadioactiveRoulette/pseuds/RadioactiveRoulette
Summary: Cyderi and Wyll have a heart to heart about a recent threat come to light.
Relationships: Astarion (Baldur's Gate)/Original Female Character(s), Astarion/Female Charname (Baldur's Gate)
Series: What Lies Below [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1985663
Comments: 5
Kudos: 52





	Indiscretion

**Author's Note:**

> Reimagined conversation based on a few wonderful fails. Inspiration points at the end.

"What exactly do you make of this?" Cyderi gestures at the exsanguinated boar on the ground by her feet.

Wyll, looks up at her with a grimace before continuing to examine the animal's corpse. When he speaks his tone is hushed. "I think we gotta vamp in the area."

Cyderi blinks for a moment, comprehension not dawning. "A vampire? Really Wyll?"

He winces at her volume, eyes skirting the clearing. "Keep your voice down, until we figure out more if you'd be so kind?" He winces, earning a hard stare in return. "Listen, I don't want to worry you - I just think caution might be wise here." He stands, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. "Let's look at the facts. This isn't the first corpse we've seen, it's just the first out in the open. It was drained right here, and they didn't waste any energy hiding the kill."

"You sound so certain, but…" Cyderi frowns. "I came to the Surface recently, Wyll. Not yesterday." She gestures to the sky and wonders if he's messing with her. "Even Drow have heard the stories - fanged monsters reduced to ash in the light, bleeding their victims dry in pursuit of eternal life." 

"A bit too embellished for my tastes, but sure. That's the general idea."

With an exaggerated sigh, Cyderi turns to take in their surroundings with a slow twirl, pivoting in the dirt. "My _point_ being that it is the middle of the day. No vamps in sight."

Wyll casts a glance over her shoulder, directing a pointed look at their party. Cyderi turns to watch the group for a moment. 

It's just Lae'zel and Astarion with them today, Gale and Shadowheart having stayed behind to find out more on the current acting first Druid. Currently it looks like the other two are locked in a heated debate. She can't quite overhear the conversation from here, but if the ridgid pantomime of gutting a belly is anything to go off of, it seems they are getting along famously. Cyderi turns back to Wyll, smile dropping in an instant as she considers the implication. "You cannot be serious. Again, dare I say - broad daylight."

"Right, because everything's been so normal of late." He says on a scoff. "I think wherever...or whomever our blood sucker may be, it's probably starving."

"Starving as in weak?" Cyderi meets Wyll's gaze, and she does not like what she sees reflected in his eye. 

"Starving as in desperate."

"Oh good, as if my problems weren't aplenty already. I could use a good bloodsucking twist to spice things up." Wiping a hand over her tired face, Cyderi blows out a metered breath to calm her whirring mind. "What's your gut telling you, you clearly have suspicions you're holding back."

Wyll considers- scuffing a boot in the dirt as he crosses his arms. "I think we need to be cautious."

She snorts derisively. "A stunning conclusion." Smiling at him, she nudges his elbow with her own. 

He hesitates, eyes roaming her face before continuing, words stilted slightly as he chooses them carefully. "I'd put my money on it being in the area still. It had to have been days since the last feeding before this, if that rabbit we found in the last tenday is anything to go off." 

"It seems to be taking its fill on wildlife, what has you so concerned?"

He shoves the weighty boar with a foot. "Cyderi, these things feed voraciously like this to regain strength. Whatever it is doing, it isn't standing idly by." Wyll seems to hesitate, weighing his response. "...I have suspicions, but nothing for absolutely certain."

"You plan to take these suspicions to your inevitable grave, or would you be so kind to share?" Cyderi asks, impatience dripping off every word.

Apology thick on his tongue, Wyll winces. "Our party is tense enough, without baseless accusations casting more doubt." 

"Who, Wyll?" 

"I…" Wyll blinks at her, eyes searching her own for something he does not seem to find. "Wait. There's no one in the camp you'd pin as a vampire? No one at all?"

Cyderi considers for a moment before shrugging. "Shadowheart has been rather secretive about her past, but I don't think that's grounds to accuse her of being a vampire. Lae'zel is certainly bloodthirsty enough, but not quite the same." She shrugs. "At least if it were one of us, we wouldn't have to worry too much. I'd consider it fortuitous, really."

The Blade's eyes widen, taken aback by the swift change in demeanor. "You've a curious idea of good news, mate."

She taps her temple somberly. "We're useful to our party members, Wyll. At least for now." Her features break in a full smile for the first time in days. "One less threat immediately trying to kill me seems like decent news to me."

Wyll shakes his head, a bemused smile flashing across his face as he whistles. "That's fair, I'll trust your nigh infallible judgement, then." 

Cyderi shoots him a glare. "You're mocking me." 

He raises his hands, palms facing her as he shakes his head. "I would never." he starts, a sly grin on his face before dropping his voice back to a mutter. "Guess I just didn't know how deep in it you were."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Not even slightly."

Cyderi narrows her eyes briefly before dismissing his answering grin with a sigh. Gathering her pack, she gestures towards the road back to the Grove. "Let's get a move on; you'll have to mock me while we travel." 

Lae'zel and Astarion quickly close the distance, matching pace easily. Cyderi keeps her eye on the road and an ear on their conversation until Astarion starts regaling Lae'zel with the all too raw story of her impromptu flight across that chasm yesterday. She tunes them out, gritting her teeth. She wonders if he'll ever let her live it down. Likely not, the ass. 

Thankfully the journey is brief - they're getting a tad more sure-footed, or she's getting a tad less lost. Either way, she is glad when the reach the Grove and the group disbands. 

Wyll hangs back. "Seems you were full up on mocking, so I'll take you up on it another time." 

Cyderi rolls her eyes in good humor. "Eventually he'll find something else to amuse himself with and I'll be old news. I can hope, anyway." She hesitates for a moment. "I thought about what you said. I agree. Just between us for now. Cards close, as it were."

Wyll nods, appreciation clear on his face. "Wise words, as always."

"Wyll are you entirely sure you're not a bard?"

"I told you, this isn't mocking. This is sincere appreciation."

Cyderi stares, deadpan in the face of his muffled snickering.

"I'm going to find Shadowheart and Gale, see if we have any more information on Kagha. Try to watch your neck while I'm gone?"

A small frown creases his face as she turns to walk away. "I'm more concerned about you watching yours." His speech falters momentarily, his next words seem carefully chosen. "Vampires are wicked charismatic shits." 

She turns, flashing a grin as she walks backwards down the hill. "Well, at least we can rule out Astarion, then."

**Author's Note:**

> I get far too much amusement out of little quirks and glitches. 
> 
> When I first came upon the boar in my first play through, I had the party listed in the story and for some reason
> 
> 1) My pc refused to stand still, she just spun on the spot. When walking she would occasionally do a 180 and walk backwards in the correct direction with the walk forward animation. It was strange. I felt threatened. 
> 
> 2) Astarion refused to path with the group and stopped well before the boar in what I can only assume is shame. 
> 
> But I really like Wyll as a character and you will not convince me that he is not 100% exasperated with the stubborn oblivious cleric and company as they Do Not See the vampire right in front of them.


End file.
